Conspiracy Drama ‘Hotline’ in the Works at Hulu and Sony From John Swetnam and ‘Spider-Noir’ Boss Steve Lightfoot (EXCLUSIVE)

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Hulu and Sony Pictures Television are developing a crime drama series titled “Hotline” from John Swetnam and Steve Lightfoot. Paul Shapiro executive produces the project through his Back East Entertainment banner.

The official description for “Hotline” reads, “A brilliant yet haunted operator at a top secret criminal call center breaks the rules to help an innocent journalist uncover a vast conspiracy, thrusting her into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the FBI, ruthless hitmen and her own employers.”

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Swetnam is the creator of “Hotline,” and serves as co-showrunner with Lightfoot, who is supervising on the project.

Swetnam’s best known credits include writing New Line and Warner Bros.’ 2014 found footage disaster film “Into the Storm” and, in the same year, “Step Up: All In,” the fifth and final film in the “Step Up” franchise. He wrote another dance film in 2015’s “Breaking Through,” which he also directed and produced, and wrote the 2013 found footage film “Evidence” as well as Netflix’s 2022 “47 Ronin” sequel “Blade of the 47 Ronin.” On TV, his credits include writing and producing on “True Lies” at CBS in 2023. He is repped by Redefine Entertainment, UTA and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, LLP.

Lightfoot most recently served as co-showrunner and executive producer of “Spider-Noir” on MGM+ and Amazon Prime Video. His other showrunning credits include Netflix’s Marvel series “The Punisher,” which ran for two seasons from 2017-2019, Netflix’s 2021 adaptation of the novel “Behind Her Eyes” and the Apple TV’s 2023 adaptation of the novel “Shantaram.” He is also known for his work as a writer and producer on shows like “Hannibal,” “Narcos,” “House of Saddam” and more.